German Patent No. 44 06 094 describes a method and a device for real-time operation of a processor. In order to operate a processor in real time under a non-real time-capable operating system, the existing external hardware interrupt sources have direct access to the non-maskable processor interrupt, bypassing the existing interrupt hardware and software.
Strict safety requirements of a stored-program control, however, call for additional measures in order to guarantee both the safety standard and the user-friendliness of a stored-program control, which can be run on a conventional personal computer.